Ascani v. Hughes

470 So. 2d 207
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 8, 1985
DocketCA-2823
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 470 So. 2d 207 (Ascani v. Hughes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ascani v. Hughes, 470 So. 2d 207 (La. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

470 So.2d 207 (1985)

Peter A. ASCANI, Sr., et al.
v.
Darrell HUGHES, et al.

No. CA-2823.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 8, 1985.

*208 Roy A. Raspanti, New Orleans, for plaintiffs-appellants Peter A. Ascani, Sr., et al.

Thomas P. Anzelmo, McGlinchey, Stafford, Mintz, Cellini & Lang, New Orleans, for defendants-appellees City of New Orleans, Henry Morris (as Chief of Police), and Officers Darrell Hughs and Terrence Duffy.

Before REDMANN, C.J., and SCHOTT and BARRY, JJ.

BARRY, Judge.

Plaintiffs appeal the dismissal of claims by decedent's estate and his siblings for wrongful death under federal civil rights provisions. We affirm.

On February 7, 1983 David Ascani was allegedly shot and killed by two police officers and a suit for damages under state and federal law was filed:

Under La.C.C. Art. 2315: Peter A. Ascani, Sr. Wrongful death, loss of Father of decedent love and affection, mental and physical pain and suffering, loss of financial support. Peter A. Ascani, Sr. Mental and physical pain individually and on behalf and suffering, loss of life of the estate of David Ascani. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983: Peter A. Ascani, Sr. Wrongful death, loss of Father of decedent love and affection, mental and physical pain and suffering, Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983: loss of financial support, loss of freedom of association. Peter A. Ascani, Sr. Mental and physical pain individually and on behalf and suffering, loss of life. of the estate of David Ascani. Peter A. Ascani, Jr., Loss of freedom of association Anna Schmit, Darius Ascani, Jesse Ascani, Mercedes Reinerth, Darlene Boyle, siblings of decedent.

Defendants' exception of no cause of action to the claims on behalf of the estate and the siblings was maintained.

The exception of no cause of action tests the legal sufficiency of the petition. All well-pleaded facts are accepted as true; the issue is whether the petition supports the redress sought. Plaquemines Parish Commission Council v. Perez, 379 So.2d 1373 (La.1980); Scariano Brothers, Inc. v. Hammond Construction, Div. of Scheyd-Brennan, Inc., 428 So.2d 564 (La.App. 4th Cir.1983).

Plaintiffs allege that 42 U.S.C. § 1983 provides an action on behalf of the estate which is separate and distinct from Louisiana's Art. 2315 wrongful death and survival actions. Relying on Carlson v. Green, 446 U.S. 14, 100 S.Ct. 1468, 64 L.Ed.2d 15 (1980), plaintiffs argue that a uniform federal rule of survivorship must be applied to prevent abatement of the estate's claim for deprivation of decedent's constitutional right to life.

42 U.S.C. § 1983 provides in part:
Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceedings for redress.

Section 1983 has no remedial provisions, but 42 U.S.C. § 1988, provides:

*209 The jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters conferred on the district courts by the provisions of this Title [including 42 U.S.C. § 1983] ... shall be exercised and enforced in conformity with the laws of the United States, so far as such laws are suitable to carry the same into effect; but in all cases where they are not adapted to the object, or are deficient in the provisions necessary to furnish suitable remedies and punish offenses against law, the common law, as modified and changed by the constitution and statutes of the State wherein the court having jurisdiction of such civil or criminal cause is held, so far as the same is not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States, shall be extended to and govern the said courts in the trial and disposition of the cause ...

Robertson v. Wegmann, 436 U.S. 584, 98 S.Ct. 1991, 56 L.Ed.2d 554 (1978) and Brazier v. Cherry, 293 F.2d 401 (5th Cir.1961), cert. denied, 368 U.S. 921, 82 S.Ct. 243, 7 L.Ed.2d 136 (1961) set forth the following hierarchy of authority under § 1988:

Federal statutory law applies unless "not adapted to the object" or "deficient"; State law applies unless it is "inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States;"
Federal "common law" applies.

"Although § 1988 is directed to federal district courts, it provides, by analogy, even greater justification for a state court to apply state law when the federal cause of action is adjudicated in the state court system." Ricard v. State, 390 So.2d 882, 885 (La.1980).

Because federal statutory law does not address the survival of § 1983 claims, who the injured parties are when the victim is killed, or the measure of available damages, resort must be made to state law unless it is inconsistent with federal law. Robertson v. Wegmann, supra; Bell v. City of Milwaukee, 746 F.2d 1205 (7th Cir. 1984).

Louisiana law most analogous to plaintiffs' § 1983 claims is La.C.C. Art. 2315. Robertson v. Wegmann, supra; Love v. Davis, 353 F.Supp. 587 (W.D.La.1972). It allows a survival action and a wrongful death action. Callais v. Allstate Insurance Co., 334 So.2d 692 (La.1975) (on rehearing).

Unlike statutes in many states which specify a personal representative to bring the action, Art. 2315 designates three classes of beneficiaries:

(1) the surviving spouse and child or children of the deceased, or either such spouse or such child or children;
(2) the surviving father and mother of the deceased, or either of them, if there is no spouse or child surviving; and
(3) the surviving brothers and sisters of the deceased, or any of them, if there is no spouse, child, or parents surviving.

Persons not specified in Art. 2315 are without a remedy. Roche v. Big Moose Oilfield Truck Service, 381 So.2d 396 (La. 1980). The estate of a decedent is not among the designated beneficiaries. Therefore, Mr. Ascani's claim on behalf of the estate does not state a cause of action. See Cullivan v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, 428 So.2d 1231 (La.App.

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Related

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522 So. 2d 1259 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1988)
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470 So. 2d 207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ascani-v-hughes-lactapp-1985.